Filling machines for use in filling a container with a liquid food product are often provided with a cleaning system for use in cleaning fill nozzles of the machine. Clean-in-place (CIP) devices have been proposed for use in periodically cleaning components, such as the fill nozzles, which contact the food product. Such CIP devices typically pump a cleaning solution through the fill nozzles to dislodge remaining food product and then a sanitizing solution is also pumped through the fill nozzles to limit microorganism growth and avoid product contamination. Use of CIP devices can reduce disassembly and cleaning of the machine components by hand through facilitating cleaning of the components on the machine.
Often times, cleaning solution is recycled through the machine during a cleaning operation. Fluid recovery manifolds have been developed for this purpose. The fluid recovery manifold can be positioned at the discharge outlets of the fill nozzles to capture the cleaning solution sent therethough and to direct the cleaning solution back toward a CIP pump which forces the cleaning solution again through the machine until the cleaning operation is complete. Since the fill nozzles are normally positioned at a container fill path for filling containers, the recovery manifold may be moveable into and out of position with respect to the fill nozzles.